34 THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE 



When one that has at last escaped all the perils 

 of its youth finally reaches its full development, it 

 is even more conspicuous and exposed than before. 

 Although now upon the wing and no doubt often 

 able to escape a pursuer by some quick movement, 

 its natural flight is not swift, and its ordinary 

 movements on the wing are a few quick flutters 

 followed by a sailing motion which is most favor- 

 able to capture. Its colors differ of course in the 

 different kinds, and they may in this particular 

 be divided into two classes. One effects a deep 

 rich black-blue or blackish purple, and is varie- 

 gated with light blue and white, the latter partly 

 in the form of bands, on some forming a broad bow 

 across both wings, rendering them most conspic- 

 uous and striking objects. They are, too, of a 

 pretty large size, and as they fly mostly in the 

 neighborhood of copses or along shaded roadsides 

 or forest roads, they seem to render themselves by 

 the contrasting background as conspicuous as 

 possible. Another class is of an orange brown 

 color of greater or less depth, while the veins are 

 black, and a black stripe, sometimes accompanied 

 by white dots, crosses the wings. These fly in 

 more open places, more fully exposed to the sun, 

 and are scarcely less cons2)icuous than their 



